With the clamour of the celebrations of Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton still echoing in their ears, many visitors to Britain this summer will doubtless want to follow on the trail of some of Britain’s previous royal brides amongst the stately homes and castles of Britain. They will be spoiled for choice.

Anne Boleyn – the ill-fated second wife of Henry VIII whose story is told in the Hollywood blockbuster The Other Boleyn Girl - grew up at romantic, moated Hever Castle in Kent. Extraordinarily, Prince William and Kate Middleton are both descended from Anne’s sister Mary, being 12th cousins once removed. Restored by the Astor family, the splendidly intimate castle is within easy reach of London and has stunning gardens and an enormous boating lake for visitors to enjoy.

Nearby lies Leeds Castle in Kent, once the home of many famous medieval queens, including Anne’s predecessor the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon. Appearing to float above the shimmering waters of the lake on which it stands, some visitors have described this architectural jewel as ‘the loveliest castle in the world’.

Further north, close to Stratford upon Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, lies the golden fortress of Warwick Castle. This was the childhood home of Queen Anne Neville – the wife of Richard III of Shakespearean fame and daughter of the ‘Warwick the Kingmaker’. Richard built the Clarence and Bear towers, which are a notable feature of the castle today.

A couple of hours’ drive away is Harewood House, once the married home of Princess Mary – the aunt of Queen Elizabeth II. Renowned for its Adams interiors, there is also a bird garden and an adventure playground for children needing to let off steam.

For London-based visitors a trip to the Wren masterpiece of St Paul’s Cathedral – the venue of the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 – is an essential stop. So too is Eltham Palace, once the principal residence of the Black Prince and his wife Joan of Kent and the setting for several episodes of the Poirot TV series.